New NYC Concept Store Tells a STORY

ByL2 ·

16 February 2012

Thanks to STORY, a new boutique in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, access to romantic gifts (the really good, hard to find kind) will extend well past Valentine’s Day this year. Aptly-named, STORY is as much a concept as it is a business, if not more. “We want our retail environment to not just be about consumption but engagement through transactional storytelling,” STORY creator and veteran marketing consultant Rachel Shechtman (Gilt, Bliss, AOL) said.

To achieve this, every four to six weeks, the entire store will undergo a complete theme-driven reinvention. To tell this month’s “love” story (which runs through March 12), Shechtman enlisted the help of strategic partner Architizer on the decor side and relied on her own seasoned eye to assemble the impressive 500+ item merchandise edit, which includes everything from VPL lingerie and Vosges chocolates to Baron Wells for Mens fragrance and Lafco candles.

In addition to the store itself, STORY will also build its brand by hosting events that celebrate the current theme–outreach that helps Shechtman foster new business relationships and strengthen ties with her community. For its first collaboration, STORY has teamed up with online dating service Nerve, a partnership the site’s CEO Sean Mills calls “a great opportunity to give [us] a physical presence for the first time.”

Marrying the charm of an independent shop with the luxury of a well-curated specialty store, STORY is a little like your favorite magazine meets your favorite social gatherings. With its fresh content, cross-platform theme reinforcement, and anticipation of what’s to come next (Shechtman is mum on that front, by the way), the STORY experience is truly a New York original.

STORY is open now and located at 144 10th Avenue (at 19th Street) in New York City.